Beverage bottle case



Nov. 26, 1946. T. VECHEY, JR

BEVERAGE BOTTLE CASE Filed Jan. 27, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Theodore I/echey Jn Patented Nov. 26, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE f 2,411,673 j I BEVERAGE BOTTLE CASE Theodore Vechey, Jr., Canton, Ohio '7, 1944, serial No. 519,877

' Application January 2 The invention relates to cases for bottled beverages and the like, and the object of the invention is to provide a one-piece case with an integral, cellular'frame or divider, molded from plastic or similar material. I

Another object is the provision of a beverage case of this character in which a minimum of apertures are provided for draining all of the cells of the case.

A further object of the invention is to provide a beverage case of the character referred to in which the side walls of the case are reinforced or thickened at the points where hand holes are formed therein for transporting the case.

A still further object is the provision of abeverage case having an integral divider frame dividing the interior of the case into a plurality of compartments each designed to contain four beverage bottles and having a novel separating device formed integrally in each compartment for separating the bottles from each other and proe viding drainage for the compartment.

Still another object is to provide a beverage case of this character in which the novel separating device in each compartment comprises two spaced, oppositely curved, vertical walls formed integrally with the bottom wall of the case and connected at their upper ends by a top wall having four equal, curved edges, there being an openingin the bottom wall, between the vertical walls of said separating device, to provide drainage for the entire compartment.

2 claims. (01. 220-21) The above objects together with others which 1 will be apparent from the drawings and following description, or which may be later referred to, may be attained by constructing the improved, one-piece beverage case in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a one-piece beverage case having an integral cellular frame or divider dividing the interior of the case into a plurality of compartments, with an integral separating device in each compartment;

Fig. 2 a vertical, longitudinal section through the beverage case, taken as on the line 2--2, Eig- Fig. 3 a vertical section through one of the separating devices, taken as on the line 3-3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 a horizontal section through one of the separating devices, taken as on the line 4-4, Fi 3;

Fig. 5 a fragmentary elevation of the upper portion of one end wall of the case;

Fig. 6 a top plan view of a modified form of one-piece beverage case with an integral cellular frame or divider;

Fig.7 a vertical, longitudinal section through the beverage case, shown in Fig. 6 taken as on the line l-1, Fig. 6; and

' Fig. {3 a View similar to Fig. lied form-ofthe invention.

Referring now particularly to the drawings, in which like numeralsrefer to like parts throughout the several views, a preferred form of the improved beverage case is shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, in which the case is shown of sufficient height to entirely enclose the beverage bottles, the cellular frame or'divider and separators being of considerably lessheight.

The case may be molded, or similarly formed, from any suitable material, preferably a plastic such as Bakelite, or other synthetic resin, and comprises the side walls I0 and the end walls I I, joined by the rounded corners I2 and the per forate bottom wall l3, the corners at the edges of the bottom wall being preferably slightly rounded as indicated at M.

The side and end walls, I0 and II respectively, maybe of sufficient'height to entirely enclose the beverage bottles which the case is designed to carry,'and, as shown in the drawings, the end walls H are preferably thickened toward their upper edges, as indicated at I5 so as to strengthen or reinforce the same at the points where the hand openings 16 are formedtherein.

The cellular frame or divider is-formed integrally within the case and comprises the vertical; longitudinal partition wall [7, and vertical, transverse partitionwallsl8, dividing theinterior-of the case into a plurality of substantially square,

I of a slightly modiequal compartments [9, each of which is of suf-' ficient size to house four beverage bottles.

As best shown in Fig. 2, it will be seen that this cellular frame or divider is substantially one-half the height of the case, so that the neck portions of the bottles, which protrude above the divider and are enclosed within the upper portion of the case, may be easily grasped by hand in order to remove or replace the bottles.

Four beverage bottles, as indicated in broken lines at B, in Fig. 1, may be received in each compartment l9, and for the purpose of separating the bottles in each compartment from each other, a novel separating device is centrally located in each of the compartments.

This separating device comprises two vertical, oppositely curved walls 20, having their concave sides disposed outwardly, away from each other.

These curved, vertical walls are formed integrally with the bottom wall I3 of the case, and extend upward to the height of the partition walls I! and I 8, being connected at their upper ends by the horizontal top wall 2| having the four equal, concave edges 22 arranged to contact the four bottles located in the compartment and to separate the bottles from each other.

In order to provide drainage for the compartments, an aperture 23 is formed in the bottom wall [3, beneath each of the separating devices above described, and between the lower ends of the vertical walls 20 thereof, so that all moisture from each entire compartment 19 may be quickly and easily drained therefrom.

In Figs. 6 and 7 is shown a modification of the invention in which the side and end walls, I Do and H a respectively, may be of sufficient height to entirely enclose the beverage bottles which the case is designed to carry, and, as shown in the drawings, the end walls I la are preferably thickened toward their upper edges, as indicated at |a so as to strengthen or reinforce the same at the points where the hand openings lBa are formed therein.

The cellular frame or divider is formed integrally within the case and comprises the vertical, longitudinal partition walls Fla, and vertical transverse partition walls l8a, dividing the interior of the case into a plurality of substantially square, equal compartments |9a each of which is of sufficient size to house one beverage bottle.

As best shown in Fig. '7, it will be seen that this cellular frame or divider is substantially one-half the height of the case, so that the neck portions of {the bottles, Which protrude above the divider and are enclosed within the upper portion of the case, may be easily grasped by hand in order to remove or replace the bottles.

For the purpose of draining all moisture from the case with the minimum number of apertures, the bottom wall 13a is perforated in the manner shown in the drawings, in which a preferably circular aperture 23a is formed in the bottom wall below every other junction 24 of the longitudinal and transverse partition walls I! and IS, in every other tier, so that each aperture 23a. drains the four bottle compartments 19a adjacent to the same and thus drainage is provided for all of the compartments. As shown in Figure 6, wherein a twenty-four bottle case is illustrated, it will be seen that with this arrangement only six apertures 23a are needed to drain the twenty-four compartments.

In Fig. 8 is shown a slightly modified form of the invention in which the side and end walls I0 4 and II respectively, of the case are of the same height as the vertical, longitudinal and transverse partition walls I1 and I8 respectively, of the cellular frame or divider. The apertures 23' may be located in the bottom wall l3 of the case in the same manner as shown and described above and the case and divider are otherwise the same as above described.

The entire case and divider or cellular frame may be molded, cast or otherwise formed integrally from plastic or the like so that there are no joints or separate parts and the case may be quickly and easily cleaned so that it may be always kept in a sanitary condition.

The apertures in the bottom wall of the case, located in the manner above described, permit rapid drainage of all of the bottle compartments in the event the case is cleaned by flushing the same with water, and also drainage for any moisture upon the bottles which may be placed in the case.

I claim:

l. A one-piece beverage case and divider comprising integral side walls, end walls and a bottom wall with integral longitudinal and transverse partition walls therein dividing the interior of the case into a plurality of compartments, each compartment arranged to house four beverage bottles, and a separator in the center of each compartment formed integrally with the bottom wall, each separator comprising two spaced oppositely curved vertical walls joined at their upper ends by a top wall having four equal, concave edges conforming to the curvature of the bottles, there being an opening in the bottom wall beneath each separator and openings communicating therewith between said curved vertical walls.

. 2. A one-piece beverage case and divider comprising integral side walls, end walls and a bottom wall with integral longitudinal and transverse partition walls therein dividing the interior of the case into a plurality of compartments, each compartment arranged to house four beverage bottles, and a separator in the center of each compartment formed integrally with the bottom wall, each separator comprising two spaced oppositely curved vertical walls joined at their upper ends only by a top wall having four equal, concave edges the other two sides of said separator being open from said bottom wall to said top wall there being a drainage opening in the bottom wall between the curved, vertical walls of each separator and communicating with the open sides of the separator.

THEODORE VECHEY, JR. 

